Learning to Grow
by AnisaLee
Summary: A series of POV's told from different characters take on the Kurt/Blaine relationship
1. Burt's POV

There are nights that kept Burt from slipping into sleep. Like the entire time his wife had been slowly slipping away from him. He'd sit up for hours listening to her sleep before checking in on Kurt. A part of him died a little every time he'd look at his son knowing that soon Kurt wouldn't have a mother any more. Burt knew he'd need her as he got older. Could already tell that his little boy was never going to be the star quarter back or the no hit baseball pitcher. His son was different. Everyday Burt prayed to a God he wasn't sure existed that his wife would make it until tomorrow, hoping that all the tomorrows would turn into a lifetime; Kurt's lifetime. She died a few weeks later.

That first night without her was torture. He found himself getting up to check on her in the living room where hospice had set up a hospital bed for her. All that greeted him was an empty bed and a still house. He closed his eyes, unable to cope with it yet and looked in on Kurt, watching the boy sleep. He silently vowed to keep things as normal as possible and the next Thursday that rolled around, kept up the Hummel dinner tradition. Burt cut into the chicken he had attempted to make only to find out it was completely raw on the inside. A giggle rang out around the kitchen and Burt smiled, chuckling with his son until one of Kurt's small hands flew over his mouth and tears welled up in blue eyes. Burt choked back a sob as he gathered his child in his arms and held him until he fell asleep. Even then Burt didn't let go.

When Kurt started high school, Burt was scared. Kids can be cruel. He expected horror stories of rude names, taunting, maybe even a few shoves. What he didn't expect was Kurt to come home with red or blue stains splashed across the collar of his shirt. Kurt shrugged it off and began bringing extra clothes with him to school.

Then the glee club happened and Burt hadn't seen his son so excited over anything, except maybe when he bought Kurt that imported china tea set for Christmas when he was 10. Burt had no idea his son could even sing. It was then that he'd find himself heading to the basement trying to catch Kurt singing. It reminded him of his wife and how she used to sing Kurt to sleep when he was a baby. Burt discovered that he could actually sleep during the night knowing his son had gained some type of acceptance in at school.

Things changed when he found Kurt and two girls from glee club dancing and prancing around Kurt's bedroom to some song about rings and men. The girls had made up some excuse about Kurt joining the football team and this was how he warmed up. Burt knew better, but nodded anyways. He knew at that moment all his speculation about his son's sexuality had been confirmed. He fully believed Kurt would come to him that night and come out. Instead, Burt was presented with a football ticket to Friday's game. So, Burt went and watched as the entire team broke out into that same dance he caught Kurt doing. Watched his son's obvious influence earn McKinley a touchdown. Then watched his son shuffle across the field before scoring the game winning point. The team surrounded him, picking him up and carrying him across the field. Burt felt pride and a feeling of something more swell in his chest. Maybe he had been wrong. Maybe Kurt was just different.

That notion was shattered later that night when Kurt said the words _I'm gay._ Nodding, Burt explained to his son that he already knew. The next morning he told his son everything was going to be okay. He didn't tell his son that he'd sat on the bottom step of Kurt's bedroom crying silent tears letting go of a fantasy world of girls, weddings and social acceptance and facing the new reality of boys, boyfriends and social condemnation.

When Burt met Carole and they started dating, Burt was cautious at first. Kurt was Burt's first priority and if Kurt wasn't comfortable with the situation, then he'd end the relationship regardless of how much he liked Carole. Luckily things went well. Kurt and Carole hit it off, bonding over fashion and design. Things Burt didn't understand, but obviously made the two of them happy. However, a part of Burt couldn't help but feel a twinge of sadness. That should be Kurt and his mom bonding over shoes, sweaters and little decorative triangle things that apparently go on the wall.

He met Finn shortly after he realized the relationship might be heading into the serious category. Burt wouldn't ever admit it nor would he wish for a son other than Kurt, it was just that Finn embodied everything Burt had thought his son would be. Finn was athletic, into sports, popular, all American...straight. Not that being gay was a bad thing, it was just that Finn was easier to be around. Burt understood where he was coming from. Kurt was a complete mystery.

It wasn't until Kurt's identity crises that involved Brittany or Bethany or whatever that blonde's name was, and their argument in the auditorium that Burt started to piece together the puzzle that was Kurt. In his eagerness to have a relationship with Finn, a teenage guy he did understand, he neglected his own son, a teenage guy who was terrified of losing his father to a boy Kurt would never be no matter how hard he tried. That night Burt stole down to Kurt's room and tried to gather strength from his sleeping son and promised that whatever path life took Kurt on, he'd stand beside him. Supporting him.

For a while afterwards things went along with little hiccup. Even when he and Carole tried to live together and force Kurt and Finn to share a room. When Burt heard Finn shouting such hatred at Kurt over the way the room was decorated, he felt like someone punched him in the gut. He couldn't think to do anything but to get that hatred away from Kurt. It took a while for Carole and Burt to work things out, but they did.

Just when Burt naively thought that mean names and snide comments were all Kurt was going to face in high school, he was knocked over. Kurt had set up a dance class to help Burt and Finn. Burt had no qualms about dancing with his son. His son who was brave and unwilling to change for anyone no matter who that person was. He laughed proudly as he waltzed Kurt around the room without stepping on his son's feet. When Kurt let go and he was left to his own devices, he watched as Kurt took Finn's hand only to have it dropped immediately. Burt frowned and followed the boys gaze to see some punk kid making a vulgar gesture. It took some prying and felt like pulling teeth, but Burt got the truth out of Kurt concerning that punk. When Kurt told him that Karofsky had threatened his life, Burt saw his biggest fear realized. He knew there were ignorant people out there who wouldn't think twice about protesting a gay kid's funeral or shouting obscenities or even taking it as far as physical violence. He had hoped that kids in Lima were different, more accepting. Now someone had threatened to kill his son. _His_ son for doing absolutely nothing except being unashamed of who he was. That night he went down to Kurt's room, just to reassure for himself that Kurt was safe and in his bed. He wouldn't admit it, but the threat had terrified him and he spent twenty minutes in the shower trying to control his shaking body.

As soon as Burt reached the bottom step of his son's room, he heard a faint whimpering. Burt was just about to say something when Kurt's soft voice whispered something and stopped him in his tracks. Burt froze and he could just make out another voice and he could make out a faint outline of Kurt's laptop and a light coming from under Kurt's blanket on the bed. A boy. Kurt was talking to a boy. Gathering himself, Burt was just about to go back upstairs when Kurt threw the blanket off himself and got up for a second, allowing Burt to get a glimpse of the boy. Dark hair. That's all he could see before he changed his attention to Kurt mumbling about making sure he was okay.

When Burt met Blaine for the first time, he wasn't prepared. He was just the boy he had seen on Kurt's computer screen for a few seconds. He had heard about Blaine, the boy from Dalton. The boy who had helped Kurt transition when he transferred from McKinley to Dalton. The boy who had become the boyfriend. The boy who could hurt his son with one word. But Blaine had been polite and respectful. Burt had expected someone like Kurt to come to the door. Someone fashionable. Someone who looked like he had ripped the closet doors off. Instead he opened the door to see a young, clean cut boy, wearing a Buckeyes t-shirt and jeans. He had smiled and shook Burt's hand firmly. A look passed between the two. _You hurt him, you face me_._**I won't**_**.** That night after dinner had been eaten and Blaine had started back towards Westerville, and Burt and Carole were cleaning up the kitchen, Burt heard a voice coming from beyond the basement. Singing. He smiled to himself and went back to putting dishes away.

Ever since his heart attack, Burt had tried to take it easy. When he woke up in the hospital to see Kurt's tear stained face, he vowed to take care of himself better. It would be cruel and selfish to Kurt for Burt to continue to live the way he did. So, when he felt exhaustion start to creep up on him at the garage, he decided to call it a night. He knew Carole was working the evening shift and Finn was away at some football camp. So, he picked up a couple of sandwiches from the local deli, planning on hanging out with Kurt. Since the wedding and Dalton, Burt didn't see his son nearly as much as he wanted - as he was used to. He smiled to himself as he stepped down the stairs, expecting to find Kurt quietly studying or reading some fashion magazine or something. He didn't expect, wasn't prepared for what he saw - Kurt wrapped up in Blaine's arms in bed, sound asleep. Burt wasn't prepared for this. Wasn't prepared to let the idea go that his son was still his little boy. He had to and that was a good thing. His son was growing up. His son was behaving like a normal teenager. He was dating, he was in love, he was having sex just like Finn. Burt needed to accept that. Wordlessly, he turned and went back upstairs. He sent a silent prayer up to his wife, asking her to watch over Kurt and when Kurt experienced his first teenage heartbreak, his heart would mend quickly.


	2. Finn's POV

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It had never occurred to Finn that Kurt being gay meant, well, Kurt being _gay_. Sure, he understood that Kurt liked boys, but he supposed he just never thought of Kurt as a sexual person. Kurt was Kurt. The kid who identified with girls more than guys, who enjoyed fashion and primping and beauty products. Finn knew it was horrible, but he'd always envisioned Kurt as being single. It was almost as if he was asexual in Finn's mind. Okay, maybe asexual wasn't a good word. Judging from Kurt's behavior last year, the boy definitely was a sexual teenage boy. He just never thought of Kurt having any sex life at all. That was until Blaine.

Sunday. It was a Sunday afternoon when Finn first met the other boy. He had been sitting on the couch in the living room watching a football game when Kurt walked in with Blaine behind him. After briefly introducing the two, Kurt excused himself to grab his bag from his bedroom leaving them.

"What are you watching?" Blaine asked trying to fill the awkward silence.

Finn shrugged, "Football."

He internally sighed and believed that the other teen wouldn't know a thing about the sport. Kurt had never shown any interest in sports except for his brief stint on the football team. Even then, Kurt didn't understood football fully.

"Awesome. Is that the Buckeyes playing?"

"Y-yeah," Finn stuttered, "You know them?"

Blaine sat next to Finn, "Yeah. I didn't realize they were playing today. I'm a huge fan. My dad and I used to go to their games when I was a kid."

Finn decided that maybe this guy wasn't so bad. He knew sports, dressed _normal_. Or normal in the terms of...well...not gay. Gay might not be the right word, but it was the only word that Finn could come up with. He liked Blaine (in a totally not gay way because he liked girl parts; especially girl boobs). And Blaine was good for Kurt. He made Kurt smile, made him laugh, made him happy. Plus, Blaine was actually kind of cool to hang out with. A few times the lead Warbler had come over and they watched a game while Kurt was out at the mall with Mercedes, Rachel and Tina.

In fact, Finn had invited Blaine out with Mike, Puck, Artie, Sam and him a few times - much to Kurt's disapproval. When Kurt sighed and rolled his eyes at the sight of his boyfriend with the boys of New Directions, Blaine smiled, kissed Kurt's cheek and whispered something in his ear that made Kurt smile shyly. Finn had never seen his step-brother act that way.

Finn found he liked Blaine more and more as time went on and Kurt seemed to be more confident - happier. He was happier then Finn had ever seen in his life.

It wasn't until later when Finn and Blaine were hanging out at Breadstix that Finn's opinion of the other teen changed. Blaine had offered to pay for Finn (assuring him it was simply a platonic move). The shorter boy had pulled out a couple bills when a foil packet fell out onto the table. Both boys sat frozen for a second before Blaine quickly swiped it up and placed it back into his wallet.

Finn cleared his throat, "Umm."

"Yeah," A pink blush started to make it's way up Blaine's cheeks, "Sorry you had to see that."

"So, you and Kurt?" Finn shifted awkwardly.

Blaine looked away, "I don't know if I should be discussing this with you."

"He's my little brother," Finn argued lamely.

"Finn," Blaine smirked, looking the taller boy in the eyes, "You're the same age."

Finn huffed, "Yeah, well...you know what I mean."

"Yeah," Blaine nodded, "Just know that I love Kurt."

"Does Burt know?"

Blaine shrugged, "I don't know what Kurt told his dad."

"But you guys are having...dude sex," Finn took a long sip of his soda.

Blaine would have made a comment about Finn's reference to gay sex as _dude sex _if he wasn't so mortified by discussing his sex life with his boyfriend's stepbrother. "Yeah," Blaine almost whispered.

"And you love Kurt? Like really love Kurt?"

"Yeah," This time Blaine's voice was more confident.

Finn sat for a second, "So, uh, you ready to go?"

That night, Finn had watched Kurt and Blaine on the couch as the three of them watched some movie together. Kurt had finally found someone. To Finn, that was all that mattered.


End file.
